Dave's Down-To-Earth Rock Shop (Mathstart: Level 3 (HarperCollins Paperback)) [Paperback]

Stuart J. Murphy (Author), Cat Bowman Smith (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Mathstart: Level 3 (HarperCollins Paperback)

Josh is the best collector on the block. And now he has something new to collect - rocks! Soon Josh and his best friend, Amy, have so many rocks they need to organize their collection. But how?

Young collectors will be fascinated by all there is to know about rocks and about classifying - sorting and organizing objects by attributes like color, shape, or size. Grab your rock hammer and join the fun with this entertaining story by Stuart J. Murphy and lively art by Cat Bowman Smith.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3-Each time Josh and Amy go to Dave's Down-to-Earth Rock Shop, the window display is different. On their first visit, the rocks are arranged according to size. The next time, they are grouped by color. The children carefully group the specimens they have gathered according to Mohs' scale of hardness. When they leave this collection at the shop, Dave surprises them by displaying it in his store window. This educational offering adequately covers the concept of classification and provides some facts about rocks. The expressive, pleasing watercolor illustrations depict safety-conscious children wearing bike helmets and safety goggles. While this book will not ignite the imagination, it does support the math and science curriculum in a palatable way. As an extension, librarians could offer Roma Gans's Let's Go Rock Collecting (HarperCollins, 1997).
Jackie Hechtkopf, University of Maryland, College Park
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Murphy turns his considerable talents to the concept of classification in this MathStart title. When Josh receives a strange rock from his uncle, he consults an expert, shop owner Dave, to learn about his gift. He also notices the store's display window, which features stones arranged by size. As Josh's interest in and knowledge of geology grows, the window display changes, with the classification scheme becoming more complex--from size to color to type, and finally to hardness. Murphy's forte is explaining complex topics in a down-to-earth manner, and that's just what he's done here. Along the way, he also includes a good deal of information about rocks, minerals, and the scientific method. Smith's full-color illustrations capture the excitement of rock hunting and include many geological and equipment details. A good introduction to primary geology units or lessons on classification. Activity suggestions for adults and kids are appended. Kay Weisman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Steck-Vaughn (November 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0739843923
• ISBN-13: 978-0739843925
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 6.5 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,573,072 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Stuart J. Murphy is a visual learning specialist. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, he has a strong background in design and art direction. He also has extensive experience in the world of educational publishing. Drawing on all these talents, Stuart J. Murphy brings a unique perspective to the MathStart series. In MathStart books, pictures do more than tell stories; they teach math. Stuart J. Murphy and his wife, Nancy, live in Evanston, Illinois.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Combonation of Math and Literature, April 21, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Dave's Down-to-Earth Rock Shop (MathStart 3) (Paperback)

This book by Stuart Murphy is a good introductory lesson to sorting and classifying. My second grade students loved this book because they could go outside, collect a lot of rocks and classify them like the characters in the story. It's easy to tie in skills like creating and reading graphs too. There is some helpful information for parents/tutors/etc. in the back on how to get the most from this story. The illustrations were fairly basic, but enjoyable, and I look forward to sharing this book with other groups of students.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dave's Down-to-Earth Rock Shop, April 7, 2008

By 

MLM (Illinois) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dave's Down-to-Earth Rock Shop (MathStart 3) (Paperback)

I purchased this book for my 7 year old grandson and he loved it. He and his younger sister have a beginning rock collection, just like the kids in the book. They like to sort things by type, too, so they really enjoyed the story. Since we live in the Chicago suburbs, we are planning a trip to Dave's Down-to-Earth Rock Shop in Evanston.